Dear LACTNET,
We've written to you about ICEA's New Parent Magazine and Transitions to
Parenthood video series. Many of you have contacted us and ICEA's Central
Office and ICEA's president and president-elect. We'd like to see that
your letters and calls changed the fact that ICEA is sending out these
products. Unfortunately we can't say that.
A second batch has gone out and there are now advertisements for the
magazines and videos in the December Journal. And the responses that
members have received have not only been unsatisfactory, but untrue.
For the record the president presented us with a very complicated problem
last spring: a finished magazine that was at my doorstep within two weeks
of the board agreeing to letting one mailing go out. The videos went out
without being seen by the entire board. For the record. 5 of the 7 voting
board members strongly strongly strongly objected to these products because
they violated both ICEA guidelines and philosophy, as well as the WHO
code.. A deeper problem exists because of how the board is making
decisions and keeping secrets. We have had many people tell us that there
emails and letters were not responded to at all or at least with
information that wasn't quite correct.
We received a letter from an ICEA member, Kim Etherington, an ICCE & DONA,
about a week ago and have had correspondence with her about this issue.
Her calls to central office were very unsatisfactory.
In light of the fact that there have been numerous complaints and calls to
the central office, president, and president elect, by members, and
consultants over the last few months, there has been no change in the
president and persident-elects position. They have told one of our
consultants that they will not breach the contract that SMG, (Impact
Media), has with the vendor, Playtex.
Kim Etherington has given me permission to share her letter to the board
with you. I think it's important. It is evident at this point that both
ICEA members and members of our sister organization let the president and
president elect of ICEA know that this is an IMPORTANT issue.
The problem to me is quite simple. We cannot blame SMG Marketing or
Playtex. ICEA let them in and gave them access to our members and to the
families we serve. It has become very apparent to me that there is a lack
of committment to the WHO code. Otherwise this would not have happened and
we would have been working to fix this. Playtex has invaded my hospital by
spending less that $2.50 per ICEA member.
ICEA's email address is: [log in to unmask]
Contact the president and president-elect. Get their committment to ending
these advertisements. Get their committment to support the WHO code.
period. No matter how much money they can make. Get their promise that
this will never happen again. Get their guarantee. If you are a member,
you have a right to that committment. If you are a sister organization,
you have the right to know that so that you can decide how and if you deal
with ICEA in the future.
Feel free to contact any of us with questions or comments.
Sincerely
Debra Madonna, ICEA Secretary
Barbara Kennedy, ICEA Director of Education, [log in to unmask]
Kathy Swift, ICEA Treasurer, [log in to unmask]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul F. Etherington [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, December 20, 1999 9:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Fwd: ICEA and The WHO Code]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hello Debra
Regarding posting my letter on LACTNET, please use the following:
I hereby grant permission for Debra Madonna to post the attached letter
on LACTNET.
If you need more let me know.
Kim Etherington,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
12-20-99
To all Current and Future Board Members of ICEA
I am a certified childbirth educator and doula in Canada. I received my
certification through ICEA a few years ago. I chose ICEA because I
believed in thier philosophy and in particular their support of the WHO
Code on the marketing or breastmilk substitutes and related products.
I was very disappointed when I received the Transitions to Parenthood
Video Series and New Parent Magazine. Having ads for bottles is a clear
violation of the WHO Code. Not to mention the content was not very
breastfeeding friendly. Advising mothers that are uncomfortable nursing
in public to "use the platex nurser" is not breastfeeding friendly.
Putting aside the information, the WHO code violations are enough to
upset me. Now I add to my initial concerns, my concern for how ICEA is
run and who is making the decisions. I have called the office
directly and was lied to by Doris regarding the positive reception and
lack of concern over these videos. I was made to feel like I was the
only one who notice these violations and I am very angry about that.
Another point, is the lack of accountability that ICEA has to its
members. I have sent three emails to ICEA regarding my concerns and
never received any official response. I posted a concerns over the ICEA
violations on a message board. I was surprised at the response I got
back considering Doris said only a couple of negative comments had been
received. The responses to this posting are the only way I have
received information regarding this.
I have some questions for ICEA. Some of these have been answer by some
board members who support the WHO code. You know who you are. I would
like as much information as possible from as many of you as possible.
1. My biggest question is how did this happen? I assume that this was
a very large project. This is not something that could of happened
without board approval. When was this project first discussed? The
videos and magazine are a huge project. Someone must of worked on it.
They must of had direction from the board. If they didn't, this must
violate the by-laws in some way. The "in power" people didn't just
show up one day with these resources and that was it, did they? Help me
understand the process that led to the production of these materials.
Did the board vote? Did the board know who the sponsors would be? If
they did, how did it go through?
2. I would like to know what board members are in favor of these
resources being offered to the public or ICEA member? Who is not in
favor of these resources and your reasons?
3. I understand you have lost some valuable consultants over this
issue. How many have resigned?
4. How much did the sponsors pay ICEA to produce these resources? How
much of members money is going to these? Who signed the contract? Is
there a way out of the contract? Does the contract obligate ICEA to
distribute these or give their mailing list for distribution? ICEA has
in their advertiser guidelines, that WHO code violation would disqualify
anyone from using the mailing list or advertising with ICEA. Yet ICEA
has in their journal and nice ad for the new videos and magazine. How
Does that happen?
5. Is it possible that international speakers that support the WHO Code
would refuse to speak at the ICEA conferences over this???
6. Is it possible that resources on the internet would remove ICEA as a
link because they support the WHO code???
7. Is it possible that the same people that support the Nestle boycott
could do the same with ICEA???
I am very concerned with this issue. Please get back to me.
Kim Etherington, ICCE(?), CD(DONA
***********************************************
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